Daddy's Little General
by Sally Scotte
Summary: Donna and the Doctor discuss their families, and Donna has a favor to ask of him. Set after "The Doctor's Daughter", but the spoilers are minimal. Also, possible spoilers for "Father's Day" if you haven't seen it.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: A Little Princess**

The Doctor pulled the TARDIS doors closed with a flourish and laughed loudly as he turned to face his human companion. She gave him a small smile in return but it wasn't the genuine grin he normally received after one of their adventures.

"How's that for fun, eh? A planet where the currency is bananas! Mad, isn't it? Good thing I keep the kitchen stocked, or you wouldn't have been able to get that 'yellow is mellow' shirt." She nodded distractedly and silently stepped toward the console as the Doctor continued to entertain himself.

"They're brilliant," he enthused, "these people. Imagine, using money that is also a food source. If you lot tried that, you'd end up with a belly full of metal. Not the most nutritious, I'd say." She agreed and forced a chuckle at his ramblings.

He walked over to his friend and gave her a playful shove with his elbow. "Oi, what was Beethoven's favorite fruit?" She shrugged at him. "Come on, guess," he prodded.

"I don't know, Doctor," she humored him. "What was Beethoven's favorite fruit?"

He leaned in as if to tell her a secret, then yelled so loud she flinched. "Ba-na-na-nas!" he roared through his laughter. She smirked halfheartedly and pushed him away with a roll of her eyes.

"That's the best you've got?" He thought for a moment and slowly nodded. She gave him a soft slap on the arm and he sulked off to set the controls, failing to hide the smile on his face.

"So how did you like it?" he asked her, still beaming. She remained silent, and he leaned over the controls to look at her. "Hey, Earth to Earth Girl!"

"Hmmmm? Fine," she answered. "I liked it just fine."

He rounded the console after he'd checked everything and leaned against the panel beside her. "What's the matter?" he jested. "Not a banana fan?"

"Nah, it's not that. It was great," she assured him, "really. Thanks for taking me." She smiled at him and absentmindedly patted his hand.

"Donna, what's wrong? You look...now, don't be cross, but you look tired. Maybe you should get some sleep," he suggested, slightly concerned.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I need, a nap," she sighed. "Actually, if you don't mind, I'm going to go find the library. Two corridors down, take a right, third door on the left with a giant quill pen engraved on the wood, right?" He nodded. She thanked him and slowly walked away, leaving the Doctor alone in the control room.

Donna was gone for over an hour. _She really was tired,_ he thought worriedly. He considered going to check on her but didn't want to wake her; she'd come back when she felt better.

"Blimey!" he yelled as the TARDIS angrily pitched him to the floor. "What do you want?" he asked his ship bitterly, and shouted again when a book dropped from the ceiling and whacked him on the head. "Fine, fine, I'll go check on Donna. But if she slaps me for bothering her you better have some ice waiting!" He sarcastically wagged a finger at the console in warning and ambled to the library.

The door was partly open but he knocked softly just in case. There was no response, so he eased the door open the rest of the way and silently thanked the TARDIS for keeping the hinges from creaking. "Donna?" He walked around the huge space for a few minutes before he finally spotted her.

Donna was laying on a purple couch by the romance novels, a section the TARDIS had added at the request of Martha. He didn't take Donna for a romantic, and he was right; on the table beside the couch was a tattered copy of "A Little Princess", an even odder choice for his companion. Then again, Donna was nothing if not unpredictable.

He turned away, convinced he'd met the TARDIS' demands, when he heard a strange sound coming from the sofa. He swivelled back toward his friend and recognized the noise after a moment: it sounded as if Donna was crying.

The Doctor walked up to the couch and knelt beside her. Donna instantly quieted; she obviously hadn't known he was there. "Donna, are you awake? I was thinking we could land and have some dinner." She stayed still, and with her hair covering her face he couldn't tell if she was sleeping or just ignoring him.

"Donna? You all right?" He placed his hand on her shoulder and she pulled away slightly. "Okay. Get some sleep," he urged her gently, "I'll go fetch us something to eat; I'm sure the TARDIS will keep it warm for you. You come find me if you need something, promise?" He rubbed his hand over her arm for a couple seconds then stood to leave.

"Doctor?" she called quietly. "Thanks for taking me today. Really," she added, "I loved it." She sat up and he could see that he'd been right; her eyes were red and a stray tear made its way down her cheek. He plopped down beside her and she smirked. "Sorry about earlier," she told him as she wiped her face, "you were saying something about bananas?"

"Doesn't matter," he dismissed. "What's wrong?" He picked up the book she'd been reading. "Didn't think you'd be into children's literature. Nothing wrong with it of course," he quickly added, "I just didn't figure it'd be your thing."

"I got this when Susan was with me," he mused, "she read it at least a hundred times but never got tired of it." Donna looked at him, puzzled. "Oh, sorry. Susan was my granddaughter. You would have liked her; the two of you probably would have ganged up on her old gramps." He winked at his friend and she gave him a grin.

"Did you like being a father and grandfather, all that domestic stuff?" she asked hesitantly. "Or would you rather not talk about it?"

He shrugged. "Nah, it's okay. Susan's mother and I weren't close, but her father left so I helped a lot raising her. She started travelling with me when she was a teenager," he mentioned, his voice going a bit quiet, "and we were a great team. I loved her a lot," he added.

"I'm sure you did," Donna agreed supportively. She sniffled and he tentatively put his arm around her.

"You okay, Donna?"

She nodded, her red hair settling over his hand. "Sorry, bad day I guess," she admitted. "I just wish I...never mind." He gave her a look and she knew that, for once, it was her that wasn't getting away with silence. "You remember those little children we saw? They were playing with their granddad, they were so adorable, having a good old time with him...It's silly really..."

He gestured for her to keep going. "You and your Susan, you were close, yeah? I was just thinking...if I ever have kids -not that there's any blokes out there on their knees waiting for me- but if I ever have kids, they won't have that."

Suddenly he understood. "Oh." She'd mentioned her father's death once, but they'd never talked about it. She always kept asking him about his family, trying to get him to open up when she wouldn't say a word about her own problems. "I'm sorry, Donna."

"Don't be," she shrugged, "you didn't do anything. I just miss him sometimes. Mum and I have never gotten along, in case you didn't notice, and Granddad and I are close, but...Dad and I were thick as thieves. Oh, the things we did when I was a little girl. We drove Mum mad, we did," she recalled with a small smile.

"It's bonkers, I know," she said when he didn't respond. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bore you." She slipped out of his grasp and walked toward the door, stopping halfway out into the hallway.

"Doctor? Can I ask you a favor?"

"Yes, Donna?" He looked up at her, seeing her melancholy expression. "What is it?"

"My dad." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Could I see him?"

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To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"What?" His jaw dropped and he simply gaped at her for a moment.

"Never mind," she dismissed her question. "It's mad. Forget I asked," she muttered and left the room. The Doctor was still in shock, but he shot up from the sofa and ran after her.

He was beginning to regret teaching Donna how to fly the TARDIS; this made the third time she'd hijacked the ship to take them wherever she fancied. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but last time they'd ended up at the galaxy's biggest mall because Donna was out of shampoo. This time she'd asked something nearly impossible.

"What did you say?" he shouted after her. The last thing he wanted to do was upset his friend, but he could hardly forget the debacle that ensued the last time someone had asked the same 'favor' of him.

"Donna, what did you ask me? I don't think I heard it right." Donna was zipping about the console, but he stopped her and gently pulled her from the controls. "Where are you taking us, Donna?"

She laughed drily and wrenched her arm away. "Not where you think, dumbo," she rebuked him. "I know we can't go back. I'm sorry I asked. It was stupid." He met her eyes, seeing that she was still upset.

"Donna, it wasn't stupid. It's just that...well, time travel's complicated. Wibbly wobbly, timey wimey, and the last time I went back on someone's time line it was a disaster."

"Wouldn't want that now, would we?" she scoffed, then her voice softened. "Of course we wouldn't," she affirmed. Donna ran her hands through her hair and gave him a weak laugh. "Missing the bigger picture again, aren't I?" she offered with a small smile.

"Donna, listen. Let's just talk about it for a minute, okay? I can't-"

"So, where are we going next?" she interrupted. "I mean, with the way you drive it's no wonder we end up in the wrong century half the time." He kept staring, not sure how to respond to her. "Well, come on. Allons-y, isn't it?"

After a moment he reached toward the console, but instead of setting the controls he took her hand and led her to the jump seat. "Sit down, okay? I want to talk about this," he told her.

"Donna..." he considered his words carefully, not knowing how much to tell her. On one hand, he trusted Donna, but at the same time he didn't want to give her any ideas. "When I- well, when we...when..."

"You went with Rose, didn't you?" she inquired softly. He nodded. Donna pulled away from him a bit, making him wonder about her next move, but she simply put a hand on his arm. "You took Rose to her past?"

There was no accusation in her voice, no demand that she be treated the same, just a question, sorrow and understanding if anything. "I'm sorry." That was definitely unexpected. He'd denied her the same request he'd allowed Rose and she was worried about _his_ feelings? "I didn't know. If I had, I wouldn't have asked." Donna looked at him, at length deciding that he wasn't going to talk about it.

She rubbed his arm for a couple seconds then stood up. "Come on, let's go somewhere...I don't know...different. Somewhere you've not been before. It'll be a nice treat for both of us, yeah?"

He looked up at her, beaming. "I've got just the place!" he shouted triumphantly, flicking a couple switches and grabbing her arm as the TARDIS threatened to pitch her across the floor.

"We're here! Go get changed," he instructed her when they stopped. She looked at the monitor and saw where they'd landed. She stood in front of the scanner for several minutes, mouth agape, staring at it in disbelief. "Great, eh?" he enthused. "I figured with what you were reading earlier you might enjoy it. Besides, I've never been here; well, at least not during this time period. Come on, we may be in a time machine but we haven't got all day," he teased with a wink.

"Doctor, I...I don't know how to tell you this, but-"

"Oh, go on," he urged her cheerfully. "I'm sure you didn't pack for it, but the TARDIS will help. Just go to your closet; she'll find you something."

Donna noticed his ecstatic expression; he'd come here for her, after all, and she wasn't going to let him down. "Back in a minute," she said, turning on her heel and marching out of the room.

The Doctor never bothered to change out of his suit; the only time he dressed differently was when he had to be somewhere formal, and even then it was a tux instead of a suit and black Converse instead of the usual red or white. Still, it never ceased to amaze him how much his companions loved to dress for the occasion, and Donna was no exception.

She returned and he knew he'd been right; the TARDIS had found her garments perfect for their destination. When they'd gone to Pompeii the TARDIS had provided her with an outfit of deep purple which she'd taken to immediately, but today Donna stepped into the control room, staring at the floor and fidgeting with the hem of her olive green dress. "Well, what's the verdict, Martian?" she asked hesitantly, biting her lip.

"Donna, you look...I mean it's different than usual but...you look...wow," was all he could manage. She'd somehow even managed to do her hair for the occasion, despite the fact that she was only gone a few minutes. Though he wasn't interested in Donna romantically he couldn't deny how stunning she looked, momentarily unable to take his eyes off his friend.

Her eyes flitted from the grating to his face and she caught his startled expression. "Yeah, I figured," she nodded, "I'll go change." He rushed over to her and playfully shoved her toward the exit.

"You look beautiful," he assured her, looping her arm through his and escorting her to the door. "So, India, late 19th century. Care to join me, Miss?" he offered, stifling a laugh.

She smiled and nodded. "No one on Earth I'd rather be here with, sir," she replied quietly. They walked out of the TARDIS and into the cool evening breeze.

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Terribly sorry for the lack of update. I thought I'd put up the rest of this story so I just left it alone, but it was brought to my attention that I never uploaded the other chapters. With that, here's chapter three.

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Chapter Three: Dolls Make the Very Best Friends

"So, what do you think? Nothing like the curry in London, is it?" the Doctor noted. Donna sighed happily beside him as they walked through the darkening streets. "Cold?" he asked, and Donna shrugged, but not before a shiver gave her away.

He draped his coat around her and pulled her into him. "Not that cold, Spaceman," she teased, but rested her head on his shoulder anyway. "Thanks for dinner, by the way." She sighed contentedly again and drifted off, lost in thought. "Now I could just use some tea and biscuits -I know how you like the chocolate ones- and then...." He stopped walking suddenly, silently pointing toward a small tea shop and walking inside, leaving Donna in the street.

A child ran past, tripping and bumping into her. "Hey there, sweetheart," Donna laughed, "be careful." The little girl steadied herself against Donna's legs for a moment then glanced around as if to see the cause of her sudden stop.

"Hi, lady," she muttered, rocking back on her heels and staring at the tall woman in front of her. Suddenly her eyes widened and she grinned. "You're my dolly!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Donna's legs and holding on tightly.

The Doctor returned and stared at the pair in the middle of the street. "Ummmm, Donna, what's going on?"

Donna shrugged as the little girl tightened her grip. "Oi, oi, all right, little one," she muttered.

The child let go and hung her head. "Sorry," she said. Donna crouched beside her and placed her hand under the girl's chin, raising it so they were eye to eye.

"That's okay," she replied patiently. "Why did you call me your dolly?" The little girl sniffled, wiping her nose on her arm. Donna fished a tissue out of her pocket (she always insisted on having pockets in her dresses now) and handed it to the child.

"My daddy bought me a dolly," she started, "and he told me to take real good care of her or else she'd run away. Dollies move real fast, ya know," the girl stated matter-of-factly. "But now I found you, even if you growed a little while you were gone."

"Where _are_ your mum and dad?" the Doctor asked, glancing around and not seeing anyone who resembled the tyke standing in front of them. The little girl stared at him apprehensively, deliberating whether or not to answer.

"You're not my dolly," she finally said, "I'm not talking to you."

Donna stifled a laugh. "It's okay, he's my friend. That's....that's John," she said finally, "and I'm Donna. What's your name?"

The girl ignored Donna's question, suddenly excited. "Hey Mister!" she yelled. "Guess what? My dolly changed her name, all on her own! Isn't she smart?"

The Doctor nodded in agreement and shot his friend a grin over the child's head. "That's right, she is," he told her. "Now....can you tell us where your mum and dad are? Or where you live?"

She looked at him skeptically again. "Hmmmm...." He feigned concentration, putting his finger to his lips and squinting, and the girl giggled. "Can you tell us your name? I bet it's a pretty name, just like Donna," he coaxed; the little girl nodded vigorously. Donna raised her eyebrows at him. _Spaceman's not too bad with kids. Who'd have thought?_

"I'm Emily," she introduced herself, wiggling her tiny fingers at them.

"Oooo, that is a pretty name," Donna complimented. "Does your daddy have a nice name too?"

"My daddy's with my brother and sister," she answered solemnly, pointing toward the sky. The Doctor noticed Donna's eyes cloud over but Emily caught their attention again. "My mommy's right over there. Mommy!" she suddenly shouted, causing a short woman down the street to turn around swiftly. "Mommy, look! I found my dolly! Come on, let's go!" she yelled, tugging on Donna's arm. "Mommy, look! She's real big now!"

"Don't even think about it," Donna muttered, glaring back at the Doctor. He just grinned and followed them toward the little girl's mother.

"Emily!" The woman rushed over to them. "Oh my, I'm so sorry," she gushed, "she's got a doll with red hair and she lost it. Keeps thinking her toy's walking around somewhere trying to catch up with us. Silly thing her father told her, bless him."

Donna nodded and shook the mother's hand. "Don't worry about it," she said casually. "Donna Noble, by the way, and this is the Doctor." They exchanged pleasantries while the Doctor pulled a small doll out of his coat pocket and hid it behind his back, winking at Donna. She caught on and turned away so the child couldn't see her face. "Oh, Emily," she called, raising the pitch of her voice, "Emily, can I come play with you? Please, can I come play?"

She walked around the two friends, finally noticing the small baby doll in the Doctor's arms. "Mommy, look! Another dolly," she shouted happily, taking it from the Doctor and holding it gently. "I'm gonna call her Donna, 'cause my other dolly's already got a name, k?" Donna and the Doctor nodded in approval, waving as Emily scampered off after her mother.

"Who'd have thought," Donna mentioned innocently, "big old powerful Time Lord getting worked up over a little girl. Must be something in the water," she joked, then her hands flew to her mouth as she realized what she was saying.

He grabbed one of her wrists and yanked gently, pulling until her hand was in his again. "Donna, really, it's okay. You're not going to upset me every time you mention my family," he assured her. "Now, how about those biscuits you mentioned?"

"Yeah, biscuits," Donna repeated absentmindedly, "that sounds good. Really good." She sighed. "It sounds brilliant. Shall we?" She looked toward him only to see that he wasn't beside her. "Doctor?" She turned around, figuring he'd stopped to look at something, but found him sitting in a nearby alley. "Doctor, are you okay?"

Donna walked over to where he was sitting and bent down beside him. "I'm all right," he assured her absently, and she put her hand on his shoulder. "No, I mean it, I'm really all right. I just saw this." He handed her a small newspaper clipping that had been sitting on the ground. "See that? 'Royal Air Force captain presumed dead, wife and daughter relocated.' Look at their name, Manchester. I knew a Manchester once, lovely girl, went by the name of....No, stop tapping my arm and let me think, Donna. Her name was....oh, what was that? Her name was-"

"Emily! For pity's sake, Doctor, that's the little girl we just saw!"

"No," he said melodramatically. "Wait, yes, actually, it is. See, Donna, you really are clever!" Donna scoffed but he continued anyway. "Yeah, I remember her! She went back to England when she was twelve -her mother died from some sort of rare blood disease and she had to live with an aunt and uncle- and moved out on her own at fifteen. She started a house for girls without fathers or whose fathers were in the military and their mothers couldn't support them. She ended up having to build this big old dormitory to house all the children and even then she had to share her room with a few of them, not that she minded. She told me last time I visited her -it must have been two, three hundred years ago- that she gave every little girl a place to sleep, enough food to keep them healthy, and a little doll to keep them company when they were sad. She said that's all that mattered to her as a little girl, that she had someone with her."

"So....she was happy, yeah?"

"Oh, yes!" the Doctor replied. "She did go through a bit of a rough spot when she was older; it turns out her father hadn't died, he'd gotten lost in some desert, but the records weren't kept about her mother or where she'd gone so he stayed in India for years looking for her, but never found her. He died when she was nineteen, and when Emily found out about it....well, she was amazing, that woman, and she started up a movement to improve military and medical records so that things like births and deaths and relocations were easier to trace across countries. She-"

"Excuse me, that's actually mine," a gruff voice cut in, grabbing the clipping from the Doctor's hands. He stared at it for a moment then shoved it in his pocket, staring at the Doctor and Donna suspiciously. "Did I hear you say you knew Emily? I've been looking for her." Donna started to answer but the Doctor carefully grabbed her hand. "Well, do you know something about my daughter or don't you? I was told they were relocated to India but not which city."

The Doctor released his friend's hand and smiled at the man. "I've met her, yes. I'd love to help, but how about we get something to drink first? My friend here doesn't deal with the heat very well and I'm sure you'd like something as well. Really, I don't mind," he insisted after a moment, and the man finally nodded and followed him toward a small restaurant.

"I'll show him not dealing well with heat," Donna muttered to herself as they left. She crossed her arms and watched the people walking by, staring absently at a young couple who hurried past with a little Indian girl riding on her father's shoulders, giggling like mad.

"Excuse me? Hey....hey, Miss Donna?" Donna looked down to see Emily tugging on her sleeve. "My mommy says I can't keep little Donna, not unless I pay you for her." She cradled the little brown haired toy in her arms then looked up at the redhead standing beside her. "I don't have any money," she said, looking a bit embarrassed, "so I guess I have to give her back now." Donna watched as Emily hugged her new little friend tightly, then held her up to return her. "You'll take real good care of her right? You and your Mister John will be a good mommy and daddy for her, won't you?"

Donna looked toward where the little girl's mother was standing a few feet away and smiled. "How about....how about you give me that pretty hat you've got there and I'll let you keep little Donna all to yourself?" The little girl looked excited at the prospect but her mother frowned, stepping toward them. Donna waved her back and winked. "Is that okay with you, Emily?"

"Yeah," Emily replied, but suddenly she looked sad. "My daddy gave me this hat. Mommy says he's not ever coming back and that I should take real good care of it." Her eyes darted from her new doll to Donna and she grinned again. "But Daddy says that I need to always have a dolly with me, because as long as I've got a dolly I'm not alone, and that's impotent or something."

"Important," Donna corrected, suppressing a giggle. "Listen, sweetheart, about your dad...." She cast a glance at the door where the Doctor and the man had gone, then turned back toward the little girl. Emily obviously missed her dad, but if the Doctor had been telling the truth (and there was no reason for him to lie to her) her life turned out fine without him. If her dad had been around she'd likely have settled into a mundane life without doing much of importance, and so many people had benefited from all the things she did when she grew up.

Emily suddenly tapped Donna on the arm, pulling her from her thoughts. "What about my daddy?" she asked, sniffling slightly. "Did you know my daddy?"

"No, sweetheart," Donna finally answered. "I didn't. I was just going to say that I think your dad was right. Every little girl needs a doll to keep her company, doesn't she?" Emily nodded and handed over her hat, which Donna held for a moment before placing it over the doll's dark hair. "There you are," she said, grinning. "Don't you and little Donna look nice?"

Emily nodded, then gave Donna a tight hug and ran back to her mother, who smiled gratefully. She grabbed the little girl's hand and they walked around the corner and disappeared.

"Donna?" Donna quickly stood as she heard the Doctor say her name and she saw her friend return; Emily's father had apparently already left. "Did you miss me?" She shook her head and grinned, and the Doctor handed her a drink. "You know," he said, "you are one of the most amazing people I've ever met. And you did the right thing, Donna, I promise. I know it was hard, but you were amazing with that little girl." Donna shrugged and he wrapped an arm around her, smiling. "Come on. I've got a present for you. I think you've earned it."

To be continued....


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: And now back to the proper plot; no more of the side story with the cute little girl. It seems after the events of the last chapter the Doctor trusts her enough to do what she asks. Now just to see how it turns out. (Also, this chapter never did get the edits I intended for it, so there's not as much transition from the previous chapter to this one, for which I apologize. I really just want to get it posted because I've had it "done" and up on LJ for ages.)

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Chapter Four: Pretending Enough to See Them

They arrived at Donna's house at ten before three. The Doctor had lectured her repeatedly about not running into herself, but Donna remembered having an interview that day, so she knew she wouldn't be home. He'd warned her so many times she nearly slapped him, but she was so grateful that he was letting her do this all she could do was hug the bossy Time Lord.

"What was that for?" he shouted in surprise as she flung her arms around him. "Normally you'd have decked me by now. Are you- Shhhh! You're coming!"

They hid behind a car and watched Donna's mother step out of the house. "Geoff, I know how you are, you'll sit on your lazy bum all afternoon. You and Donna are just alike, drifting around and doing nothing with yourselves!"

The woman in question brushed past her mother, flipping her red hair out of her face and calling back through the door. "Don't you listen to her, Dad! She's just cross that we beat her and Granddad at cards last night." She laughed sardonically in her mother's direction and shouted 'See you later!' toward the door frame as the two women headed to the car.

"Mum, I know where we're going, just let me drive!"

The older woman ripped the keys from her daughter's hands and gestured toward the car. "Donna, last time I had you drive you took us clear across town to look at some helicopter that had been painted as a spaceship. You and your grandfather have been spending too much time together. Next thing I know you'll be nattering on about skinny aliens disappearing in front of you at work. Get in the car," she snapped, and after a sigh Donna obliged and they drove off.

The Doctor expected Donna to jump up instantly, but she stayed crouched on the ground for almost five minutes and he wondered if she'd lost her nerve. "Donna, if you don't want to...."

She held up a hand and he stopped; the car was coming back. "I almost forgot," she admitted. "Mum just _had _to have another go at him." Sylvia stormed into the house and left Donna in the car alone. She stared in the rear view mirror, adjusting her hair and looking at the reflection of the house as the Doctor and his Donna watched on.

"This is weird," Donna whispered as she watched herself, and the Doctor nodded.

Apparently satisfied with what she saw, the younger Donna pulled something out of her huge purse: a notebook. She started writing furiously, chewing absently on the end of her pen then continuing until she heard the front door fly open. She hurriedly stuffed the journal back into her bag and pulled out her mobile, texting someone and twirling her hair around her finger.

"Useless git!" her mother shouted into the house, causing both Donnas to flinch.

"I suppose it'll destroy half the universe if I go up there and punch her, right?"

The Doctor nodded but didn't hold her back. "Two-thirds, actually," he corrected with a grin, "but the rest would probably give you a medal."

They stifled a laugh and watched as Sylvia continued to insult the empty front step, then Donna's father ventured into the door frame and Donna's giggle died in her throat. The Doctor carefully took her hand and moved closer to her as they listened to the exchange.

"-Was your fault she ended up there in the first place!" Sylvia was accusing her husband, and he stood and took the abuse.

"What are they talking about?" the Doctor whispered, but Donna hushed him.

"Now listen here, Sylvia," Geoff countered, "I've told you over and over. Donna's old enough to make her own choices. If she had taken that job with Chowdry like you'd wanted, she would have been unemployed anyway. He had to close down after last Christmas, and at least Clements was something she liked. Besides, she's better than some stupid job at a photocopy place. Don't you underestimate our girl," he ordered.

His wife sauntered over to him and stabbed him in the chest with her finger as she replied, "Listen, you, Madam over there doesn't need you telling her she can do anything she wants. She already does enough of that as it is," she snarled. "She doesn't need to think she's brilliant on top of everything else, or we'll never get her to settle down."

The Doctor tightened his grip on Donna's hand and shook his head. "I'd give you a medal, actually. A big, thick one, like her head," he muttered at her, and she smiled gratefully.

"Look at her, Geoff," Sylvia said shortly, pointing at the car; Donna was babbling to one of her friends about the previous night's Big Brother, but the pair observing from the street could see her flipping through a thick book as she pretended to listen to her mate's gushing.

"Yeah sure, Veena, I know. They shouldn't have evicted her for-" She spotted something in the book and gasped. "No, I'm fine. Listen, I have to dash. Going out with Mum. Bye."

She ended to call but kept the phone to her ear, much to the Doctor's confusion. Then he realized her parents were still watching her; the Donna in the car knew it too. She highlighted her findings and stealthily slipped everything back in her bag as Geoff and Sylvia continued their fight. "See? I said you were clever," he whispered to Donna, who rolled her eyes at the compliment. "What were you reading anyway?" Donna shrugged, picking at a bit of dust on her knee with her free hand. "Donna...."

Donna sighed, looking toward her counterpart in the blue car. "Oh, all right. I was taking this history course under Mum's nose -she still doesn't know, so if we go and see her don't you dare mention it- and in the book it mentioned a blue box in some pictures from the boarding of the Titanic. It had one of them in there, but the man by the box wasn't you." She smiled nervously. "I thought something might have happened to you. The other bloke had this leather jacket and big honking ears. He looked pretty nice," she added, and he forced back a laugh, "but I thought that he'd stolen the TARDIS or something. Then it occurred to me. You must have taken my advice and found someone. And if it was a bloke instead of Rose, who am I to say anything?"

"Donna, that wasn't another of my companions. That was....Oh, never mind. I'll tell you some other time." She looked at him strangely but before she could ask she heard her mother's voice.

"We've got to go or Donna's going to miss another interview. If she doesn't get a steady job soon I'm going to give the girl a piece of my mind," she fumed. "Going on about all these plans but she doesn't do anything. Maybe if you'd stop telling her how wonderful she is and give her the truth she'd get somewhere, but with all your 'advice' she thinks she's too good for temping."

Geoff started to protest but Sylvia slammed the door in his face and stormed back to the car, this time with her purse in hand. "Donna? Get off your mobile, we're going!"

This time Donna stood almost immediately after the car departed, practically knocking the Doctor off his feet as she snapped up. "Okay, so I've got about an hour, if I'm right, which I am," she blurted out matter-of-factly. He stepped past her, but she held out an arm to stop him. "Are you sure I can do this?" she asked. "We could head back to the TARDIS if you want. I want to be there for him, but if it'll muck something up I don't have to go. Is it safe?"

"Go ahead," he assured her, "I'll be here to help." They rejoined their hands and walked toward the house.


End file.
